Vise jaw wiper for typographical machines



Dec. 15, 1936. A. G. SPERRY l 2,064,598

VISE JAW WIPER FOR TYPOGRAPHICAL MACHINES Filed May 18, 1936 ATTOR N EYS Patented Dec. 15, 1936 STATES Parent orties VISE `AW WIPER FOR TYPOGRAPHICAL MACHINES 16 Claims.

The present invention relates to improvements in typographical or line casting machines of the general class disclosed in U. S. Letters Patent No. 436,532 granted September 16, 1890 wherein lines of character bearing matrices are deposited by a line transporter between a pair of vise jaws which clamp the matrix line endwise in front of a slotted slug casting mold after which the mold advances against the vise jaws and the matrix line between them to form a metal-tight seal along the front of the mold, the type forming characters on the edges of the matrices being alined with the casting slot in the mold, and a pot containing molten metal is then advanced. against the rear of the mold to form a metal-tight joint therewith and to inject molten metal into the casting slot and thus produce a character bearing type slug, the mold and the type slug therein, after the casting operation, withdrawing from the matrix line and vise jaws and then moving to a position for ejection of the slug while the matrix line is being removed from the casting position.

The invention relates more particularly to im provements applied to the vise jaws and especially to such jaws when arranged to move inwardly against matrix lines that are composed of a length shorter than the full line measure for which the jaws are set so that the jaw or jaws will close such portion or portions of the casting slot at the front of the mold as may extend beyond such short matrix lines. In so casting slugs from short matrix lines, the portion of the slug beyond one or each end of the matrix line is blank since it is cast against the face of one or the other or both vise jaws, as the case may be, such use of the vise jaws for lling out short matrix lines being commercially known as quadding. It has been found that if the vise jaws are constantly employed for long periods of time for quadding purposes, particles of type metal will gradually accumulate on the casting faces of the jaws and, in time, bring about the objectionable condition that the mold will not advance sufficiently rmly or closely against the jaw faces to form a perfect metal-tight seal, thus affording opportunity for undue escape of type metal and consequent interference with the proper operation of the machine.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide means for avoiding such an objectionableI condition, the present invention providing suitable means for wiping the casting faces of the vise jaws after each casting operation has been performed, suitable brushes or Wipers, one for each vise jaw, being provided which are mounted to move longitudinally over the casting faces of the vise jaws.

The invention is shown applied to movable vise jaws which are provided on their casting faces with projecting ribs which cooperate with the mold by entering the front of the casting slot therein, so that the portion or portions of the slug beyond the matrix line will be cast to a less height than the full depth of the mold, such arrangement being fully disclosed in U. S. Letters Patent No. 2,036,267 granted April 7, 1936. This partcular application of the invention has been chosen for purposes of illustration and also for the reason that the presence of the projecting ribs on the vise jaws requires even greater care in maintaining the jaw faces free from adhering metal than is required when the casting faces of the jaws are plain as usual. It is to be understood however, that the wiping means according to the present invention is applicable equally and with the same advantages to vise jaws of any construction, whether their casting faces be plain or otherwise, and that the wiping medium may be in the form of a brush or it may be of some other suitable material or form.

To these and other ends, the invention consists in certain improvements and combinations and arrangements of parts all as will be hereinafter more fully described, the features of novelty being pointed out particularly in the. claims at the end of this speccation.

In the accompanying drawing:

Figure 1 is an elevation of a portion of a slug casting machine of the class hereinbefore referred to, as viewed from the rear or casting side, the machine being equipped with automatically movable vise jaws with ribs, and with vise jaw wipers according to the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation, partly in section, of the portion of the front of the machine in which the vise jaws are mounted, showing the position of the wipers with respect to the vise jaws and the adjacent portion of the machine, and

Fig. 3 is a vertical section showing one of the vise jaws closed against the front of a mold and the mouth of the usual metal pot in casting relation with the mold.

Similar parts are designated by the same reference characters in the different figures.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in the present instance as an example, I represents the usual vise frame of a machine of the class referred to, in which the right hand and left hand vise jaws 2 and 3 respectively, are each carried on a support 4 which is movable longitudinally in the vise frame so that one or the other or both jaws may be moved inwardly, one toward the other, at the proper time to close against a short matrix line presented between the jaws, whereby either or both jaws may quad out matrix lines that are shorter than the particular line measure for which the jaws are set. Any suitable or wellknown form of quadding and centering mechanism may be employed to effect such movements of the vise jaws, that shown in the present instance conforming with the quadding and centering mechanism which is fully disclosed in U. S. Letters Patent No. 1,970,527 granted August 14, 1934 to which reference is made for a detailed disclosure of such mechanism, it being deemed suii'icient, for the purposes of the present invention, to set forth that the right hand and left hand jaws are provided with a jaw-closing lever 5 operated at the proper times from a suitable part of the machine and which, through the medium of a coupling device 5, may cause either or both of the vise jaws to move horizontally toward and from one another to center or quad the line at either or both ends and clamp the line endwise prior to the casting operation, and to retract to permit removal of the matrix line from casting position after the cast has been made.

In the present instance, each vise jaw is provided with a longitudinal rib 'i which projects rearwardly from its casting face and is intended to reduce the casting height of the mold beyond the respective end of a short matrix line by entering the front of the mold slot when the mold anvances against the vise jaws prior to the casting operation. The manner in which such low quad casting is carried out by means of such ribs on the vise jaws is fully disclosed in Patent No. 2,033,267 hereinbefore referred to, it being deemed suiicient, for the purposes of the present invention, to refer to Fig. 3 of the accompanying drawing which shows the rib 'I on one of the vise jaws in casting position within the front of the mold slot 8, the mold being of the usual or conventional form comprising upper and lower mold members 9 and IG respectively which define the height of the mold slot 8.

The wiping means provided by the present invention, comprises preferably a pair of levers II and I2 which are pivoted at I3 and I4 on a suitable part of the machine, preferably the frame I5 thereof which is above the vise jaws. The lever I I is provided at its lower end with a brush or wiping element I@ for wiping the rear or casting face of the jaw 2, and the lower end of the lever I2 is provided with a similar brush or wiping element for wiping the rear or casting face of the jaw 3. The wiper levers are preferably connected to operate simultaneously or in unison,

the wiper lever II being preferably provided for this purpose with an arm II which extends therefrom and carries a pivot stud I8, and the wiper lever I2 being preferably provided with a similar arm I9 which extends therefrom and overlaps at its end the end of the arm I3, the extremity of the arm I9 being formed with a slot 20 in Which the pivot stud I8 operates, so that a swinging movement imparted to one of the wiper levers will transmit swinging motion in the opposite direction to the other wiper lever.

Means is provided for holding the wiper levers in their normal positions and for returning them to such positions after each actuation thereof, the vwiper levers being preferably provided for this 'purpose with extensions above their respective pivots I3 and Iii which extensions are connected by a tension spring 2|. This spring will normally hold the wiper levers in the full line positions shown in Fig. l, the jaw wipers on the lower ends of these levers then occupying positions beyond the ends of the mold so that the latter will be free to move forwardly against the vise jaws and a matrix line between them, in the usual manner, prior to the casting operation and without interference from the wipers.

Any suitable moving part of the machine may be employed for operating the wipers, provided its movement is timed so as to carry the wipers across the faces of the vise jaws during intervals in the operation oi the machine when the mold is retracted or out of Contact with the jaw faces. In the present instance, the usual line delivery slide operating lever 22 is chosen for operating the wipers, this lever, as well-known to those skilled in the art, being provided on the machine primarily to eect the delivery of a line of matrices through a channel 23 in the machine frame I5, into the jaws 24 of the usual first elevator or line transporter 25, the latter then moving the matrix line downwardly to present it between the vise jaws and in front of the mold, in the usual and well-known manner. The lever 22 swings about its pivot 25 under control of a rotary cam 2l and a spring 28, in the direction indicated by the arrow, the upper end of the lever 22 being connected by a pivot 29 at its upper end to a link 3B, the latter being connected by a pivot 3I to the sliding line delivery carriage 32 which delivers the matrix line M, while held between ngers 33 and 34 which form parts of the carriage 32, into the jaws 24 of the line transporter. The construction and operation of the line delivery carriage and its operating lever just described is the same as that ordinarily employed in machines of this class and is fully disclosed in Letters Patent No. 436,532 hereinbefore referred to.

In order to utilize the operating lever 22 for the line delivery carriage to operate the vise jaw wipers according to the present invention, the

upper end of the lever 22 is provided with a pawl 35 which is pivotally mounted on a stud 36 xed in the lever 22, and this pawl is yieldingly urged against the usual pivot stud 29 on the lever 22 by a tension spring 3l, one end of which is attached to the pawl and the other end of which is attached to a pin 38 fixed in the lever 22. A lug 39 is provided on the wiper lever II, it projecting forwardly therefrom so that it will lie in the path of the upper end of the pawl 35, so that as the lever 22 approaches the end of its line delivery movement, the pawl 35 will engage the lug 39 and thus rock the wiper lever II and, through the arms I1 and I9 and the pin and slot connection I8 and 2B connecting the wiper levers II and I2, both wiper levers will be swung to or toward the dot and dash line positions shown in Fig. 1. Such movements of the wiper levers will carry the wipers I6 thereon in a slight arc and across the rear or casting faces of the respective vise jaws, thereby removing from the faces of the jaws any metal particles that may adhere to them or to casting surfaces thereon such as the ribs 'I shown. Immediately prior to the completion of the line delivery stroke of the lever 22, the pawl 25 will pass beneath and thereby lose its engagement with the lug 39 on the wiper lever II, due to the arcuate path, represented by the dotted line A-A in Fig. 1, through which the upper end of the pawl 35 travels, it

Abeing seen from Fig. 1 that, in order to fully enter the jaws 24 of the line transporter, the matrix line M must travel from the position shown in that figure toward the right until it passes beyond the entering end 40 of the jaws 24, and when the matrix line reaches this point, the pawl 35, moving in the arcuate path A-A, will have passed beneath and out of engagement with the lug 39, after having moved the wiper levers II and I2 to the dot and dash line positions shown in Fig. 1. Disengagement of the pawl 35 from the lug 39 releases the wiper levers so that they are then free to return to the full line positions shown in Fig. 1 under the tension of the spring 2|, and such return of the wiper levers occurs prior to the usual advance of the mold against the vise jaws for casting from the matrix line M and hence the wipers will not obstruct such advance of the mold. 'Ihe vise jaws therefore will be wiped to remove metal particles that may adhere to them after casting from a preceding line, during the delivery of the matrix line M to the line transporter. The return stroke of the lever 22, after delivering the matrix line between the jaws 24 of the line transporter, takes place without interference from the lug 39 on the wiper lever I I, since the pawl 35 functions as a latch, it yielding and swinging about its pivot 36 when the back of the pawl strikes the lug 39 which then stands in the full line position shown in Fig. 1.

It is to be understood that the left hand vise jaw 3 is adjustable, in the usual manner, to set 'it at different distances from the right hand jaw 2, and that the wipers have a range of movement suicient to traverse the faces of the vise jaws at any set position of the left hand jaw 3, and it will be clear that even if the jaw 3 should be set initially so close to the jaw 2 as to bring itl out of the range of movement of its wiper on the lever I2, this jaw will still be within the range of movement of the wiper on the lever I I.

From the foregoing it will be seen that the vise jaws are wiped each time a new matrix line passes through the usual line delivery channel and into the usual line transporter and that such wiping of the jaws therefore occurs once after each casting operation, so that undesirable accumulation of metal particles on the faces of the jaws or on the faces or edges of the casting ribs thereon will be prevented. It will also be seen that the usual line delivery slide lever forms a convenient means for operating the wipers after each casting operation, since its line delivery stroke occurs after the jaws have been moved outwardly from such closed position against a short line, as they may have occupied during the casting operation, back to their open or line receiving positions.

I claim as my invention:-

1. In a line casting machine having a slug casting mold and vise jaws for clamping a matrix line in front of the mold and each having a face for closing the front of the mold beyond an end of the matrix line, wipers mounted to move over said faces of the vise jaws and having means for operating them after each casting operation.

2. In a line casting/machine having a slug casting mold and vise jaws for clamping a matrix line in front of the mold, each jaw having a rib cooperative with the face of the mold to close it beyond an end of the matrix line, wipers mounted to move over said ribs on the jaws, and means for operating the wipers to wipe the ribs after each casting operation.

3. In a line casting' machine having va slug casting mold and vise jaws for clamp-ing a matrix line in front of the mold and each having a face for closing the front of the mold beyond an end of the matrix line, a pair of wipers pivoted to swing over said faces of the respective vise jaws and having means for operating them after each casting operation.

4. In a line casting machine having a slug casting mold and vise jaws for clamping a matrix line in front of the mold and each having a face for closing the front of the mold beyond an end of the matrix line, a pair of wipers mounted to move over said faces of the respective jaws,

means connecting the wipers for simultaneousA movement, and means for operating the wipers after each casting operation.

5. In a line casting machine having a slug casting mold and vise jaws for clamping a matrix line in front of the mold and each having a face for closing the front of the mold beyond an end of the matrix line, a pair of wipers pivoted to swing over said faces of the respective jaws and having arms connected to effect simultaneous movement of the wipers, and means for operating the wipers.

6. In a line casting machine having a slug casting mold and vise jaws for clamping a matrix line in front -of the mold and each having a face for closing the front of the mold beyond an end of the matrix line, a pair of wipers mounted to move over said faces of the respective jaws, means for moving the wipers in one direction, and a reciprocatory member operative to move the wipers in the other direction.

'7. In a line casting machine having a slug casting mold and vise jaws for clamping a matrix line in front of the mold and each having a face for closing the front of the mold beyond an end of the matrix line, a pair of wipers mounted to move over said faces of the respective jaws, a spring connecting the wipers and acting to move them in one direction, and a reciprocatory member operative to move the wipers in the other direction.

8. In a line casting machine having a slug casting mold and vise jaws for clamping a matrix line in front of the mold and each having a face for closing the front of the mold beyond an end of the matrix line, a pair of wipers pivoted to swing over said faces of the respective jaws, means acting to yieldingly move the wipers in one direction, and a member operative to swing the wipers in the other direction.

9. In a line casting machine having a slug casting mold and vise jaws for clamping a matrix line in front of the mold and each having a face for closing the front of the mold beyond an end of the matrix line, a wiper mounted to move over said face of a jaw, and a reciprocatory member operative to move the wiper by its movement in one direction and acting idly with respect to the wiper during its movement in the other direction.

10. In a line casting machine having a mold and a vise jaw for clamping a matrix line in front of the mold and having a face for closing the front of the mold beyond an end of the matrix line, a wiper mounted to move over said face of the mold, means acting to move the wiper in one direction, and a reciprocatory member having a part thereon engageable with the wiper to actuate it during its movement in one direction and movable idly past the wiper during movement of said member in the other direction.

11. In a line casting machine having a mold and a vise jaw for clamping a matrix line in front of the mold and having a face for closing the front of the mold beyond an end of the matrix line, a wiper mounted to move over said face of the mold, means acting to move the wiper in one direction, and a reciprocatory member having a latch thereon operatively engageable with the wiper to actuate it during movement of said member in one direction and tripping idly past the wiper during movement of said member in the other direction.

12. In a line casting machine having a mold and a vise jaw for clamping a matrix line in front of the mold and having a face for closing the front of the mold beyond an end of the matrix line, a wiper mounted to move o-ver said face of the mold, means acting to move the wiper in one direction, and a member pivoted to swing in an arc relatively to the wiper and carrying a part engageable with the wiper to actuate it during the swing of said member in one direction, said part passing out of engagement with the wiper during the continued swing of the member in said direction.

13. In a line casting machine having a mold and a vise jaw for clamping a matrix line in front of the mold and having a face for closing the front of the mold beyond an end of the matrix line, a wiper mounted to move over said face of the mold, means acting to move the wiper in one direction, and a member pivoted to swing in an arc relatively to the wiper and carrying-a latch operatively engageable with the wiperto actuate it during the swing of said member in one direction and passing out of engagement with the wiper and releasing it during the continued movement of the member in said direction, said latch being movable idly past the wiper during movement o-f the member in the other direction.

14. In a line casting machine having a mold, a line transfer carriage having a lever for operating it, and vise jaws for clamping a matrix line from the transfer carriage in front of the mold and having faces for closing the front of the mold beyond the respective ends of the matrix line, wipers mounted to move over said faces of the respective jaws, and means operative by the line carriage operating lever for actuating the wipers.

15. In a line casting machine having a pair of matrix line clamping vise jaws with mold engaging faces, a mold movable against said faces of said jaws for casting a slug from the matrix line clamped between them, and a wiping device having means for moving it over the faces of the jaws subsequent to the slug casting operation.

16. In a line casting machine having a pair of vise jaws with mold engaging faces, a mold movable periodically into and out of engagement with said faces of the jaws, and a device for automatically wiping the faces of the jaws during an interval after engagement thereof with the mold.

ARTHUR G. SPERRY. 

